Hollande confident as French election draws near

May 3 - Socialist presidential candidate and frontrunner Francois Hollande remains in a winning position for French election run-off. Deborah Lutterbeck reports.

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French Socialist presidential candidate Francois Hollande at a campaign rally in Toulouse.
The presidential frontrunner appears poised for victory in Sunday's election run-off, against President Nicolas Sarkozy.
Fresh from the Presidential debate, he continues to attack his opponent.
(SOUNDBITE) (French) SOCIALIST PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE FRANCOIS HOLLANDE SAYING:
"To be the outgoing candidate, after having brushed aside all the other right-wing candidates and then to find yourself at the second round without even a call to stand down, after all that he does to run after one or the other, it's just efforts that are not rewarded. But there is a justice. When one was president of failure, one cannot be a candidate of hope."
Polls suggests Sarkozy edged closer to his rival after the debate --- but failed to land a knockout punch need to revive his re-election hopes.
Now Hollande is looking to the future.
(SOUNDBITE) (French) SOCIALIST PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE FRANCOIS HOLLANDE SAYING:
"I felt great pride, one to represent you. To tell him face to face what you had in your heart for so many years. After so much disrespect, so much injustice, so much incoherence. I was your spokesperson for one evening."
His supporters are also looking for better times.
(SOUNDBITE) (French) JEAN LOUIS JOUNET SOCIALIST SUPPORTER SAYING:
"Its Francois, its Francois, it has to be. We have to have change we have to end the way France is now with its divisions and inequalities for some parts of the population. It cant go on."
Hollande stands between five and ten percentage points ahead of Sarkozy in opinion polls for Sunday's runoff.
Deborah Lutterbeck, Reuters

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